Several Sugar Hill anthologies have been released, but few of them have been put together with such care as
A Complete Introduction to Sugar Hill Records. Released through Universal U.K., it’s a four-disc box that contains just about every Sugar Hill cut a fan with deep interest could want. The 14-minute version of
the Sugarhill Gang's “Rapper’s Delight,” the 12-minute version of the Sequence's “Funk You Up,” the nine-minute version of
Funky 4 + 1's “That’s the Joint,”
Grandmaster Flash's “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel,” and
Busy Bee's “Making Cash Money” merely scratch the surface. The accompanying booklet, filled with in-depth liner notes, thorough release information, and photos, make the box well worth leaving on your coffee table. ~ Andy Kellman